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  2. Exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields inhibits T-type calcium channels via AA/LTE4 signaling pathway

Exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields inhibits T-type calcium channels via AA/LTE4 signaling pathway

  • Cell Calcium. 2014 Jan;55(1):48-58. doi: 10.1016/j.ceca.2013.11.002.
Yujie Cui 1 Xiaoyu Liu 1 Tingting Yang 1 Yan-Ai Mei 1 Changlong Hu 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Life Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
  • 2 School of Life Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: clhu@fudan.edu.cn.
Abstract

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) causes various biological effects through altering intracellular calcium homeostasis. The role of high voltage-gated (HVA) calcium channels in ELF-EMF induced effects has been extensively studied. However, the effect of ELF-EMF on low-voltage-gated (LVA) T-type calcium channels has not been reported. In this study, we test the effect of ELF-EMF (50Hz) on human T-type calcium channels transfected in HEK293 cells. Conversely to its stimulant effects on HVA channels, ELF-EMF exposure inhibited all T-type (Cav3.1, Cav3.2 and Cav3.3) channels. Neither the protein expression nor the steady-state activation and inactivation kinetics of Cav3.2 channels were altered by ELF-EMF (50Hz, 0.2mT) exposure. Exposure to ELF-EMF increased both arachidonic acid (AA) and leukotriene E4 (LTE4) levels in HEK293 cells. CAY10502 and bestatin, which block the increase of AA and LTE4 respectively, abrogated the ELF-EMF inhibitory effect on Cav3.2 channels. Exogenous LTE4 mimicked the ELF-EMF inhibition of T-type calcium channels. ELF-EMF (50Hz) inhibits native T-type calcium channels in primary cultured mouse cortical neurons via LTE4. We conclude that 50Hz ELF-EMF inhibits T-type calcium channels through AA/LTE4 signaling pathway.

Keywords

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields; T-type calcium channels; The cysteinyl leukotrienes.

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